• Subscribe
  • Magazines
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Sunday 1 June 2025
  • zh-hant 中文
  • ja 日本語
  • en English
IAG
Advertisement
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
No Result
View All Result
IAG
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
No Result
View All Result
IAG
No Result
View All Result

Cross-border casinos, junkets in firing line as China passes amendment to criminal law

Ben Blaschke by Ben Blaschke
Wed 30 Dec 2020 at 12:36
Amendment to China’s criminal law targeting foreign casinos to include 5 to 10 year jail term
143
SHARES
3.6k
VIEWS
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

China’s National People’s Congress has passed an amendment to its criminal law that will, from 1 March 2021, create a new crime against cross-border casinos found to be organizing or soliciting Chinese citizens to gamble and increase penalties for those found guilty of serious breaches.

According to a report by Chinese state media outlet Xinhua, the amendment – first drafted in October – was adopted last Saturday and specifically targets anyone who “organizes mainland Chinese citizens to gamble outside the country (borders).”

The penalty for this new crime will match the crime of “opening casinos” in China, which carries a sentence of not more than five years of fixed-term imprisonment, criminal detention, or control, in addition to a fine. In serious circumstances, the person will be sentenced to more than five years but not more than 10 years of fixed-term imprisonment, in addition to a fine.

As reported by Inside Asian Gaming at the time, the original draft law stated, “Whoever operates or manages casinos, or is designated by casinos outside the country, and organizes or solicits Chinese residents to participate in overseas gambling, where the amount involved is large with a serious nature, shall be punished according to provisions under the preceding paragraph.”

While no detailed explanation is contained within the new law as to how it will be implemented, JP Morgan analysts DS Kim and Derek Choi suggested in a note that Macau won’t be excluded from mainland China’s wrath.

“It’s worth noting that the revised law clearly states gambling outside the borders in brackets, not just ‘overseas or foreign gambling’,” they state.

“In our view, this should put an end to the discussion on whether Macau SAR is covered by this law, because ‘outside the borders’ is typically interpreted as being outside Mainland China in the legal context, encompassing the HK and Macau SARs, and Taiwan.”

Credit Suisse analysts offered a similar view when the draft law was published in October, noting that China’s Ministry of Justice “clearly defines” exiting or entering the mainland to Macau and Hong Kong as “crossing the border” and citing recent statements by provincial governments in Jiaxing, Nantong and Guangdong which specifically named Macau in efforts to combat cross-border gambling.

“After the central government publishes the rules and regulations, it is the provincial levels that execute that,” the analysts said.

“Although the crackdown rules have not provided a clear definition of the meaning of ‘cross border’, at the provincial government level we note that Macau, including the junkets, casinos and shadow banking, are being named time and again on their list of crackdowns.”

The law could also strike fear into junkets and their agents, JP Morgan’s Kim and Choi propose, because “they could be personally liable for the mere organization of a gambling trip under the amended law.”

Passing of this amendment to China’s criminal law comes after the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced in August that it had established a “blacklist” of overseas tourist destinations it said were disrupting the nation’s outbound tourism market by opening casinos targeting mainland Chinese customers.

The blacklist, devised in conjunction with other departments, would see travel restrictions imposed on Chinese citizens going to certain overseas cities and scenic spots, the Ministry said, although it failed to identify exactly which locations it was referring to.

RelatedPosts

Thai committee to submit report on legalized casinos in May

Thai tourism sector worried Beijing may restrict Chinese visitation if casinos legalized

Wed 26 Mar 2025 at 16:59
South Korea drops quarantine requirement for unvaccinated arrivals

South Korea to introduce visa exemption for tour groups from China

Sun 23 Mar 2025 at 18:34
China says Myanmar scam parks have been largely eliminated

China says Myanmar scam parks have been largely eliminated

Sat 8 Mar 2025 at 08:44
Macau quarantines all travelers arriving from specific areas in Shanghai and Tianjin

China expects GDP to grow by 5% this year

Thu 6 Mar 2025 at 05:57
Load More
Tags: blacklistChinaCriminal LawMinistry of Culture and TourismNational People's Congress
Share57Share10
Ben Blaschke

Ben Blaschke

A former sports journalist in Sydney, Australia, Ben has been Managing Editor of Inside Asian Gaming since early 2016. He played a leading role in developing and launching IAG Breakfast Briefing in April 2017 and oversees as well as being a key contributor to all of IAG’s editorial pursuits.

Current Issue

Editorial – Foreigner-only casinos: Seize the day

Editorial – Foreigner-only casinos: Seize the day

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 29 May 2025 at 13:38

I was recently asked by someone working at a foreigner-only casino for my thoughts on the outlook for the Asian...

On the brink

On the brink

by Pierce Chan
Thu 29 May 2025 at 13:27

The transition period for Macau’s 11 satellite casinos is set to expire at the end of this year, after which...

A moral defense of gambling

A moral defense of gambling

by Andrew Russell
Wed 28 May 2025 at 18:19

Economist Andrew Russell explores the differences between community benefit and in-principle arguments for the existence of a legal gambling industry...

Face to face

Face to face

by Ben Blaschke
Wed 28 May 2025 at 18:08

Konami caught the eye at the recent G2E Asia show in Macau with its SYNK Vision Tables, which utilize facial...

Evolution Asia
Aristocrat
GLI
Mindslot
Mindslot
Solaire
Hann
Tecnet
Nustar
Jumbo

Related Posts

10 Years Ago – Reimagining Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka gazettes draft bill to establish Gambling Regulatory Authority

by Newsdesk
Sat 31 May 2025 at 06:03

A draft bill that would establish an official regulator for the Sri Lankan gaming industry, to be known as the Gambling Regulatory Authority, has taken another step forward after being gazetted. According to the Sri Lanka Mirror, the official announcement...

RGB International signs agreement to distribute KL Saberi and Atlas gaming machines

After record-breaking sales in 2024, Malaysia’s RGB sees 1Q25 profit fall to

by Newsdesk
Sat 31 May 2025 at 05:53

Malaysian gaming product distributor RGB International Bhd has reported group-wide revenue of MYR73.6 million (US$17.3 million) for the three months to 31 March 2025, down 65% year-on-year due to a lower number of products sold. The figure was also 79%...

Robert Goldstein to step aside as LVS Chairman and CEO from March 2026, replaced by Patrick Dumont

Robert Goldstein: Macau gaming market challenged by increased competition, online gambling and US-Sino trade war

by Ben Blaschke
Fri 30 May 2025 at 06:42

Las Vegas Sands (LVS) Chairman and CEO Robert Goldstein has bemoaned the lingering impact of the US-China trade war, as well as increased domestic and regional competition and the rise of online gambling across Asia for sustained flatness in the...

Industry hopes Thai Entertainment Complex Roundtable can establish “common ground” with those opposing legal casinos

Industry hopes Thai Entertainment Complex Roundtable can establish “common ground” with those opposing legal casinos

by Ben Blaschke
Fri 30 May 2025 at 05:38

Industry figures taking part in the Thai Entertainment Complex Roundtable (TECR) next Thursday 5 June hope to find common ground with those who oppose Thailand’s Entertainment Complex Bill, citing the opportunity to use an evidence-based approach to achieve outcomes that...



IAG

© 2005-2024
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • NEWSFEED
  • MAG ARTICLES
  • VIDEO
  • OPINION
  • TAGS
  • REGIONAL
  • EVENTS
  • CONSULTING
  • CONTRIBUTORS
  • MAGAZINES
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • Magazines
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • About
  • Home for G2E Asia

© 2005-2024
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • English